Boeing Starliner Launches First Crewed Mission

5 June 2024 1730

5 June 2024 1730

Boeing's Starliner mission will make a third attempt at launching its first crewed flight test Wednesday in a critical test flight to show that the spacecraft can safely carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The uncrewed test flight in May 2022 ended prematurely after the spacecraft failed to reach the space station due to software problems. Boeing replaced the spacecraft's software and conducted a successful uncrewed test flight in December 2022.

The upcoming crewed mission will be the first time astronauts have flown on the Starliner. The two astronauts on board, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, will spend about two weeks on the ISS, conducting experiments and performing maintenance tasks. The mission will be a major milestone for Boeing, which has been working on the Starliner program for over a decade. If successful, it will pave the way for the Starliner to begin carrying astronauts to and from the ISS on a regular basis.

The launch of the Starliner is a significant event for NASA as well. The agency has been relying on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the ISS since the Space Shuttle program was retired in 2011. The Starliner, along with SpaceX's Crew Dragon, will provide NASA with two independent options for astronaut transportation, which will increase safety and reduce costs.

The launch of the Starliner is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, at 9:54 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft will be launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. If the launch is successful, the Starliner will dock with the ISS on Friday, May 27.